


You've Gotta Be Kidding Me

by SuperWarrior118



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Angst and Humor, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, at least not that much i think, there's naked people but i don't go into it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-11-01 11:38:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17866553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperWarrior118/pseuds/SuperWarrior118
Summary: He wakes up and sees something he'dneverthought he'd see on her.





	You've Gotta Be Kidding Me

**Author's Note:**

> Insp:  
> "People hurt me long before we met; all sorts of people, in all sorts of ways. But no one ever hurt  
> me quite like you. You didn't leave scars, Blake. You just left me alone."
> 
> and the twisted thought that came from that coming for my boredom's skull
> 
> bone apple teeth

That morning found him with his head pounding. Not that it surprised him. Neither did the lithe body curled against him. His bones ached in a different way though. They flushed him with a pleasant buzz, not enough to cure his hangover, but enough to take off the edge. The sound of his toes and back popping softly knocked in his head as he stretched in place, letting out a sigh.

His companion rolled away him, letting out a sigh of her own and curling deeper into the covers.

With a low chuckle, his blurry eyes trailed after her. He’d have reached for his scroll by now, the instinct to leave the warmth in search of pills that would save him from his screeching immune system also calling, but both his mind and body protested.

_When are you getting this peace and quiet ever again?_

He closed his eyes.

_When I’m dead, that’s when._

With a sniffle, he stretched again and huffed. He lifted himself on his elbow and raised the covers with a smirk.

“Rise and shine, Ice—”

She stirred weakly, unaware of him breaking her cocoon of warmth.

He blinked, his mind jolting. Quickly rubbing his eyes, he narrowed his gaze, shock overriding his senses. While he would have thanked the Gods for it, the horror wasn’t welcomed.

Yes, it was Winter Schnee, naked in all her glory. But it was there and then that he began to formulate that there was much more to that glory. Case in point, the very oblong, lopsided, uneven and rugged letters on her back.

It was rage and confusion’s turn to overwhelm him. Of course, he couldn’t really ask with his mouth clamped shut, but it was sort of hard to word it all.

He had heard the rumors. And he fully expected them to be true, what with it being Jacques. He would believe all the dirt on that man. And he already knew most of it.

But his eldest daughter having gone through that sort of experience was the last thing he would have believed.

Bitter acid rose into his throat at the thought of Jacques F. Schnee somehow mistaking his daughter for a Faunus and pressing that branding iron to her back. To his knowledge, Jacques Schnee was already less than human. It didn’t take much for his gut to convince him that the man was bad news when they first met, but this…

_You’ve gotta be kidding me._

“Winter.”

She barely heard his voice. But as more and more cool air slid down her back, the more she was dragged her out of sleepiness.

“By the Gods,” she muttered, rubbing her stinging eyes as she bolted up straight. “It’s daylight.”

“Y—yeah.”

The shock in his stutter somehow registered in her groggy mind, and she frowned. Seeing his pale face, and glowing eyes, she rolled her own gently.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t see them,” she scoffed. “We did it _all_ sorts of ways.”

“Yeah, and friendly reminder I was drunk when we did,” he grunted as he sat up right with her. “The both of us were.”

“What,” she scoffed. “Did you mistake them for birthmarks?”

He snorted as there was a flash in her hands. She held out a glass and two tiny capsules.

He started again, sniffling sharply. “Uh, thanks.”

“So, you _did_.”

“Shut up.”

Even when fighting off sleep, her face was as readable as ever. It screamed his own stupidity back at him.

Ignoring her, he gazed down unabashedly, outrage still drawing a drowsy scowl on his face. Swallowing, he noted that they weren’t exactly recent. They lacked a substantial groove, so they had already healed as much as they could. That much he could tell. Yet, they still contrasted with her skin, sticking out much like dead leaves against freshly fallen snow.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to stare?”

“Yeah,” he blinked slowly. “But I’m way too drowsy to give a crap right now.”

“I see,” she let her eyes close with a small smile, treatment for herself appearing on the nightstand.

“But,” he gulped his tablets. “Did he really—do _that_?”

“Oh, no. This wasn’t _his_ doing,” she cleared her throat, rubbing her eyes again. “He had— _different_ disciplinary measures. Much different. It was the Faunus. The ones that worked for him. In the factories.”

“Gods, what’d you ever do to them?”

“Nothing,” she said, hugging her knees. “They just wanted out of whatever my father was putting them through.”

“And they thought he’d let them by fucking _branding_ you? I know they have it bad but,” he let his fingers cross over the scars, a pained jolt going into his head. "Gods, this is taking it way too far."

Breathing in, she heaved a composed sigh. With a jolt of her eyebrows, she shook her head slowly. “It worked out in the end for them, I suppose. They didn’t just get out of the factory. He made sure they got out of _life_ as well.”

“Of course,” he snorted, glowering.

“I laugh at the fact of him punishing them like that. I thought he was protecting me, punishing those who hurt his little princess, the great heiress to the Schnee name," blue irises rolled. "And he was. In a sense,” she glanced at the ceiling, eyebrows drawing closer. “But I’m fairly certain he just wanted an excuse to ascertain his power over them. ‘It’s better to be feared than loved,’ or something like that. You’d think I’d have a sense of superiority over them now, right?”

“You’re a Schnee, but you’re not _Jacques_ Schnee," he shook his head. "Though, I’d suppose you’d have it out for them.”

“Well, I have neither that sense _nor_ a grudge,” she crossed her legs and hunched, resting her elbow on her knee, placing her chin in her hand. “It’s not that what they did was correct, but their anger was more than justified. It was pent up, having suffered so long and all. And while not the healthiest way of expressing it, they made their point. Definitely opened my eyes to see my _real_ father,” she sighed through her nose, her voice growing thick and exhausted. “And my father…well he didn’t change his ways—well, actually, he did. He just made them worse. He made _everything_ worse for them. It’s like…it’s like he thinks them _mindless_. Heartless, even. Or that they even lack blood like his.”

“Not 'like,' Ice Queen. And no surprise there,” he laid back down, catching the darkness in her eyes. “Sounds _just_ like him if you ask me.”

“I’m plenty aware of where my father stands in your eyes, Qrow.”

“Oh, I’m sure you are. I gotta ask though, was that what chased you away from inheriting the business?”

“Like hell I was going to inherit it in the first place,” she scowled. “My mother…I might be making it up but, I think my mother wanted me to do other things.”

“How could you make _that_ up?”

Pale blue eyes flicked across him then, and he could practically hear her train of thought.

“From what I can recall, she was…like you, but,” she looked away. “The moments I _did_ sit and talked to her, I think she encouraged me to do _something_. Something more.”

“Something,” he echoed. “That something being to be better than your father, no doubt.”

“Possibly,” her lip twitched. “I can’t say for sure. And I sort of regret heeding that advice. Not taking the company, I mean.”

“Really,” an eyebrow lifted. “How come?”

“I could have helped them if I had. More-so, anyway.”

He took a moment and weighed the words, glancing ahead. “And you can’t help them now?”

“That’s the thing. I _try_ ,” her voice became hushed. “I leave… _inconspicuous_ methods of communication when I visit, so I don’t raise too much suspicion. I try and free the ones that can reach me. I set limits on those who try because as much as I’d like to free the entire factory, there’s only so many people I can fit into a ship. There’s only so many people I can grant a new life by myself. It’s not setting them all free, but it’s helping some. And to me, that’s better than nothing.”

With a quiet hum of agreement, he continued to study her back, letting his anger crash in silent waves.

After a few moments, she yawned. “You want to get out of bed?”

“Not really, but I suppose I want to tell you something.”

“And what would that be?”

“Well,” he frowned. “You’ve given some secrets. Let me give you some of mine.”

“Do I really want to know any of this?” Her cheek twitched.

“Sure you do,” his own smirk fell as soon as it came. “It’d only be fair. And…it’s a bit of warning really.”

“You, being fair?”

“I think I know more about being fair than _some_ people, _Schnee_.”

“Right, right,” she peered over her shoulder with a curious blink. “Go on.”

He inhaled through his nose. “I’m going to need you to keep doing what you’re doing, Winter. Something big’s coming up. Something that’ll probably be a means to an end for whatever the hell your dad’s putting those Faunus through. But until then, just free those you can. Like you said, some’s better than none.”

“Mind if I get more details on this 'something big’? Is it a heist? An assassination?”

“Whoa, take it easy there, Special Operative. It’s not targeting him directly. Not an attack, nothing like that. You can relax. Hell, you might actually see him all jolly and crap with a sudden business boom once it starts, so, again, just keep doing what you’re doing, and keep an eye out.”

“A war, then,” she surmised. “Only a handful of reasons why business would boom.”

He sighed. “Yeah.”

“You starting a war;” she seemed to chuckle. “Sounds like you. Is it over what happ—”

“Your dad being a corrupted pig has nothing to do with this,” he sneered. “It’s annoying, but it’s not the biggest issue on the table. And I’m not starting it. I have no say in it, really. Technically, it’s already been happening. But, you can worry about it later. Promise.”

She looked at him, blue scrutinizing red through narrowed eyes with a sleepy film.

Red spoke silently, giving her a nod.

After a moment, she sighed. “Alright, then. I want breakfast.”

“Shower first,” he smirked. “You stink.”

“Speak for yourself,” with a scoff, she snatched a pillow, shoving it in his face.

**Author's Note:**

> :))))
> 
> Qrow despises pillow talk unless it's with her no you cannot debate with me
> 
> pero like i drafted this in a day if you can believe that. my creativity comes much how i sprint. in  
> bursts. But tbh I don't ship Snowbird that much. They shared one episode, in which they _fought_ ,  
> plus one (1) wink and _one_ (1) playboy nod up. I know that's probably the foundation for future  
> canon het couple but eh. That doesn't really cut it for me. Also, granted, RWBY Chibi is notorious  
> for foreshadowing stuff so I guess the deed is done but but but
> 
> i just want Winter for myself lmaoo. she's, like, the only girl crush my sinful het ass has ever had. Guess I  
> like focused women or something. But a teeny weeny part of me is hoping Miles was lying about  
> Qrow not being Ruby's actual dad so I can ship myself with Winter in _fucking **peace**_ knowing SxQ  
> is off being cute somewhere. But that doesn't mean Snowbird's my notp. It's not, but it's not the  
> head of my armada either. Regardless, I'm a slut for angst so this idea came to mind after goat  
> man was slain.
> 
> do i know when this takes place? no. probably when they get to atlas or something. after some  
> gala. winny had the day off the next day or...something


End file.
